Local Blockbuster, Nommer 37, Well Received By Sa Critics

“A good example of how great movies can be made right here in South Africa! It is a captivating tale of love, sacrifice and doing everything in your power to survive and will have you at the very edge of your seat with anticipation of the next move!,” says City Press’s Andrea Johannes about local crime thriller, NOMMER 37, which was released in cinemas earlier this month.

This Hitchcockian style film, by scriptwriter and first-time director, Nosipho Dumisa, was very well received by local audiences, media and film critics and compliments have been streaming in, non-stop, from various sources. Channel 24’s Leandra Engelbrecht describes it as a “thrilling ride that has twists, turns and a lot of suspense”, which is confirmed by Bruinou.com’s Ryan Swano, who says: “It is rêrag ’n kwaai film. No matter how many outcomes you try to predict, the twists become more and more surprising.”

This production, which had its world premiere at the International SXSW Film Festival in Texas, was selected to represent the country at the 18th annual Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) in Switzerland from 6 to 14 July 2018. It was also recently announced that Dark Star Pictures gained exclusive North American distribution rights. The North American screening of the full-length feature will kick off in New York and L.A., followed by an early winter video-on-demand release. Reel Suspects has also managed to clinch distribution deals for the film in China, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

NOMMER 37is based on the SAFTA-award-winning short film of the same name, which was co-directed by Nosipho Dumisa and Travis Taute. Set in a dangerous and poverty-stricken neighbourhood of Cape Town, it tells the story of Randal Hendricks, a recent paraplegic, who is given a gift of binoculars by his devoted girlfriend, Pam (Monique Rockman). But he is in financial debt to Emmie (Danny Ross), a sadistic loan shark, and when he witnesses a powerful criminal, named Lawyer (David Manuel), commit murder while observing his neighbours through his binoculars, he initiates a blackmail scheme in an attempt to settle his debt. With deception and greed around every corner, what follows is a thrilling ride that puts both their lives in mortal danger… as the world around Randal deteriorates further and further into chaos.

The film also stars Sandi Schultz, Deon Lotz, Elton Landrew, Ephraim Gordon and Amrain Ismail-Essop. It was produced by Bradley Joshua and Benjamin Overmeyer of South African production outfit Gambit Films with XYZ Films.

NOMMER 37is a thrilling big-screen cinematic experience that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the credits start rolling and a must-see for everyone. “You are confronted with a lot of crime scenes and scenarios, but you also understand where the characters are coming from and why they are doing what they’re doing,” Leon van Nierop explains.

The film was produced by Gambit Films in association with kykNET Films, M-Net, XYZ Films and the DTI, and is distributed by Filmfinity (Pty) Ltd. locally. It is currently showing at various cinemas across the country and holds the number nine spot on the local circuit.

WHAT THE PUBLIC HAD TO SAY

Geraldine Whiting: “I watched it Saturday and wow ‘Epic’ is the word! Really an awesome movie…”

Annelien Nolte van Basten: “If suspense thrillers are your thing, this is not something you want to miss. This is an Oscar-worthy film, which is impressively authentic on each and every level and the acting is superb.”